No Finalized 5D Mark III Yet [CR2]

[gene_can_sing]

As a video guy, I want to 5D to be SPLIT into 2 cameras with one that is optimized for video. One of the main reasons for the 5D2 huge success was video, and Canon knows that. It's very obvious from Canonrumors.com, that you cannot make both camps happy with one camera.

Personally, after using the DSLRs I now prefer the form factor over traditional video cameras. The DSLRs are small and so easy to use and are great for stealth shots. Going back to a bulky camcorder would be a real drag.

But I would be happy if they release a Video Camera also (full frame preferably). Or just an entirely new video oriented DSLR.

I hope Canon does something quick in the video department. They are seriously falling behind Sony and Panasonic, and with Nikon set to release some new cameras, Canon is looking really dated. Sony especially, is really tempting lately and once people switch it's hard to go back, so Canon needs to act SOONER than later. The only thing Canon video has going for it at this moment are the lenses. The bodies are basically a relic from another era at this point.

DP Philip Bloom wrote a great article on the need for Canon to act NOW, or risk losing serious market share in the video world because so much is starting to happen in that arena. A good read.

http://philipbloom.net/2011/07/21/the-state-of-play/

5D3 with video by next summer will be too late for a lot of people who will have switched to Sony or Panny by then.

In terms of video, I really agree with what LetTheRightLensIn said above. Canon management is really fumbling it just looks like they are dragging their feet when they need to make forward looking, decisive decision instead of the half-ass measures they been doing the last few years, mostly in regards to video. I'm sure they are the biggest camera company in the world, but that's only because they have the biggest name which they are living off of. Their Camera Bodies certainly are NO longer the best. for either stills or video.

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

I just hope the 1Ds Mark IV will be a PRO photo-camera not a video-toy

Although I only shoot stills, I also recognize that video has become a big part of professional photographers work. PJ's, and wedding photographers use video because the customers demand it. Camera makers provide it because customers demand it. Documentary makers, commercial photography, television, and even feature films now use HDDSLRS, its hardly a toy, its a billion dollar industry.

I find that I do not have to use video if I do not want to, and my camera makes still photos just fine.

No, I agree with polpaulin, above.

I'm a stills-only photographer, and if I drop £2500 to £3000 of my hard-earned/ill-gotten on a 5D3, I'd prefer most of that money to go into stills-photography-performance-and-spec, not video-tomfoolery.

I don't wanna be buying a camera where £1500 of its price goes into amortising the R&D spent on developing the video features.

I want it to be mainly a stills camera, and I want Canon to concentrate on stills performance. ISO performance, mainly, given that its MPix count will be better than the 18MPix of my current 7D. I want it to be a "Prince Of Darkness".

I don't want the money I spend on it being "diluted" on video features I won't use.


Martin

I believe you are going overboard about how much extra cost the video adds.

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

As a video guy, I want to 5D to be SPLIT into 2 cameras with one that is optimized for video. One of the main reasons for the 5D2 huge success was video, and Canon knows that. It's very obvious from Canonrumors.com, that you cannot make both camps happy with one camera.

Personally, after using the DSLRs I now prefer the form factor over traditional video cameras. The DSLRs are small and so easy to use and are great for stealth shots. Going back to a bulky camcorder would be a real drag.

But I would be happy if they release a Video Camera also (full frame preferably).

I hope Canon does something quick in the video department. They are seriously falling behind Sony and Panasonic, and with Nikon set to release some new cameras, Canon is looking really dated. Sony especially, is really tempting lately and once people switch it's hard to go back, so Canon needs to act SOONER than later. The only thing Canon video has going for it at this moment are the lenses. The bodies are basically a relic from another era at this point.

DP Philip Bloom wrote a great article on the need for Canon to act NOW, or risk losing serious market share in the video world because so much is starting to happen in that arena. A good read.

http://philipbloom.net/2011/07/21/the-state-of-play/

5D3 with video by next summer will be too late for a lot of people who will have switched to Sony or Panny by then.

Exactly they have already just about blown it.

That said I don't want some special camera that has all the video features and just dregs tossed into the rest. Give them all the same quality and features. If you want to make one with special video optimized form factor and attachments, sure, but don't crippled the quality and controls in the more still form factored models otherwise their still form factor bodies will look pretty sad.

 

[gene_can_sing]

I think they should just release a video-centric Full Frame DSLR around the SAME time as the next 1DS, hopefully in September or October.

For stills, the 5D2 is still pretty good. For video, Canon really needs some new life and SOON, and by releasing a video DSLR it would re-assure the video people who heavily invested in Canon lenses, that they made the right choice, which has been seriously questioned in the last year with Canon's lack of initiative.

A video DSLR or camcorder by October would solve that. I personally would prefer a DSLR over a camcorder just because I now prefer the form factor.

 

[Loswr]

Please provide quotes, justification, etc, for your last sentence.

Wait, wait...you were expecting something other than an opinion passed off as factual? Silly dilbert...

 

[gene_can_sing]

...
DP Philip Bloom wrote a great article on the need for Canon to act NOW, or risk losing serious market share in the video world because so much is starting to happen in that arena. A good read.

http://philipbloom.net/2011/07/21/the-state-of-play/

5D3 with video by next summer will be too late for a lot of people who will have switched to Sony or Panny by then.

Please provide quotes, justification, etc, for your last sentence.

Dilbert, just READ the article and all the comments, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to see the writing is on the wall for Canon in regards to video. For stills Canon will reign supreme but video is in a flux. I'd like to hope that Canon would want to capitalized on other markets, but it just doesn't seem like it.

 

[Loswr]

Wait, wait...you were expecting something other than an opinion passed off as factual? Silly dilbert...

Maybe one person's opinion is an opinion, but if two people have the same opinion, then it's fact. Especially if one of them is a blogger. Because we know all of their information is always factual, right?

 

[Flemming]

I just hope the 1Ds Mark IV will be a PRO photo-camera not a video-toy

Although I only shoot stills, I also recognize that video has become a big part of professional photographers work. PJ's, and wedding photographers use video because the customers demand it. Camera makers provide it because customers demand it. Documentary makers, commercial photography, television, and even feature films now use HDDSLRS, its hardly a toy, its a billion dollar industry.

I find that I do not have to use video if I do not want to, and my camera makes still photos just fine.

No, I agree with polpaulin, above.

I'm a stills-only photographer, and if I drop £2500 to £3000 of my hard-earned/ill-gotten on a 5D3, I'd prefer most of that money to go into stills-photography-performance-and-spec, not video-tomfoolery.

I don't wanna be buying a camera where £1500 of its price goes into amortising the R&D spent on developing the video features.

I want it to be mainly a stills camera, and I want Canon to concentrate on stills performance. ISO performance, mainly, given that its MPix count will be better than the 18MPix of my current 7D. I want it to be a "Prince Of Darkness".

I don't want the money I spend on it being "diluted" on video features I won't use.


Martin

I do not think it is as simple as that. People buying the 5D for the video features are also financing the stills features. So the fact might actually be that they can offer the total package for less money than if they had to develop two specialised cameras (chips, sensors, bodies, software).

Also, unless Canon is dumb the R&D they spend in developing video features in sensors, chipsets and software will be amortised over many models and generations and since they will have to develop video technology anyways it will not cost that much to add it to the 5D.

Personally I hope for a 5D mkIII that will have faster FPS, better auto focus and slightly improved video.


Kind regards
Flemming

 

[Loswr]

Listen to the interview with Gale Tattersall (the guy that directed the episode of House using the 5D Mark2.) What lenses did the professionals use? Canon. What message does that send to amateurs that want to shoot video on a 5D Mark2? Use Canon lenses.

Episode? It was more than one. After shooting the season 6 finale on the 5DII, the producers went on to shoot the entire 7th season of the show on 5DIIs.

The blogger gene_can_sing linked to, himself, used Canon dSLRs to shoot pick-up footage for Red Tails, a forthcoming film that's a pet project of George Lucas. Although he's not the director, Lucas stepped into that role for the period of time in which the dSLRs were used for shooting. That, too, sends a pretty clear message that even people like the fictional amalgam, "Fred," can hear loud and clear.

 

[UncleFester]

Personally I hope for a 5D mkIII that will have faster FPS, better auto focus and slightly improved video.


Kind regards
Flemming
[/quote]

This is the most logical progression for the 5D series. It is only off by this much for being a spectacular mid-range camera...for photographers.

 

[sandro]

Honestly,
I just want what the Gh2 does but with canon sensor size + lenses, period. Nothing special in 2011 really :S It's not like they have to product something impossible to do or difficult
Panasonic did it after 2y with the GH1 (BTW the GH1 alone with the hack was better than the current Canons) and Canon couldn't do it since the DIGIC 4 came out? What the hell have they been doing?

 

[Sherwin]

I don't think things look good for Canon at this moment. They are falling behind of their competitors.

For dSLRs, Canon has 44.5 percent of the market share, followed by Nikon with 29.8 percent and Sony with 11.9 percent (link). Including the PowerShot line, Canon is the #1 manufacturer of cameras in the world. How exactly are they falling behind?

I thought we were talking about product development and future market, no? Nikon only has the rumored 8/27 product release date. Sony A77 is confirmed which is aiming at the 7D. Yes, there is no imminent threat, not yet. But can Canon's 2010 market share translate into that they have nothing to worry about and can delay the 5D3 for another year? I highly doubt it.

 

[WarStreet]

I thought we were talking about product development and future market, no? Nikon only has the rumored 8/27 product release date. Sony A77 is confirmed which is aiming at the 7D. Yes, there is no imminent threat, not yet. But can Canon's 2010 market share translate into that they have nothing to worry about and can delay the 5D3 for another year? I highly doubt it.

The 'delay' is not because they have a lead, but to continue leading in the future. Release the camera too early, and we can get lower features for the next 3 years, such as the D700 and A900 lack of video. I think Nikon, Sony and Canon entry level FF will be released during the same period, with not more than 3 months from each other. Keep in mind that the D700 is the oldest and expect this one to be released first.

 

[RSBJ]

Signed up to put in my two cents on the wish list. In order of priority:

Video autofocusing.
Significantly better DR by say...at least 1.5 stops.
Very clean images at high ISO's. Perhaps 4 stops better than we have with the 5dII.
Better autofocus
>5 FPS
Slightly more resolution, but not at the expense of the previous high ISO performance or DR requirements.

I would pay much more than a paid for my II to get it, and I'm sure I'd have to.

 

[unfocused]

Remember you read it here first. Quoting myself from June:

If there is a divergence between video and still models of the 5D (or any other line), I believe it will be for design and engineering reasons, not marketing. It may be that Canon feels it cannot simultaneously optimize performance for both stills and video in the same camera. If that's the case, they may be forced to offer one version optimized for stills (with video capability) and one version optimized for video (with still capability). I think they would be loathe to do that, but design limitations could force that to happen.

Still the case with this latest rumor. Canon does not want to lose either the still or the video customers of the 5D, and I'm sure they'd rather be able to sell a single model to both. But, if the engineering design needs of one conflicts with that of the other, they may be forced to offer two versions.

 

[april]

split the 5D?
1) it's totally crazy if canon releases a camera with a advanced video tech. for sure i will call it videocam not a DSLR and it's not made for me since i'm not a videographer
2) if canon releases a DSLR with no video capabilities then they'll call it 50D mark II

hahahahaha

 

[ronderick]

During my friend's wedding a while ago, I had a chance to speak to one of the photographers he hired for the event. It turns out that the young photographer started a studio with several friends, and their main tool is several 5D2s.

To make a long story short, one of their major sales point was to shoot the before-noon actions (wife saying goodbye to her family, groom arrives at bride's house to pick her up, ceremony at the church, etc.) in both video and stills, do the edit work during the afternoon, and make the clip ready for a wedding banquet premiere. For a case like this, they need several 5D2s, and their other equipments are centered on these bodies.

Well, my friend was very impressed with their service and ended up recommending them to other people.

===

OK, why the long anecdote?

I don't know about the US, but here I think there are up-and-coming photographers finding new business models with the 5D2, and I think the market is slowly changing to expect the video+photo all-in-one service from the wedding photographers (needless to say, the groom got the recommendation of the studio from another satisfied client).

Echoing other people on the forum, the 5D2 is a camera which is a tool - it's just that it opens up the possibility of combining the capability of great stills with the capability of great video into one body. I think even today a lot of people are still exploring new possibilities of what the 5D2 offers, and some even building a professional career by starting off with a hefty investment.

So yes, in this way I think with all the fanfare for the 5D2 out of the way after so many years, people are still buying this well-received body. With so many users out there, I think there's a pretty well-rounded verdict on its strengths and weaknesses.

The older photographers in my office often lament about how their older film bodies were able to last them years. While most people today expect electronic products to be upgraded in short cycles, it seems a bit strange that people are being excited about Canon NOT upgrading their product.

I think it's all great for the company for going after profits, but unless ur a stockholder, what does a company's market share have to do with us?

While we have little say over the product decisions, we always have the ability to sell our stuff if we don't like it. It's not like we're bonded to it for the rest of eternity.

Frankly, I rather have a trustworthy body in my hand that behaves according to my expectation and giving me no surprises. It's also great if I can find well-rounded support from Canon and other 3rd party support for it (lenses, accessories, etc.).

It's fun to listen to rumors about 5D3, but why get upset about it when nothing's written in stone? The older model still works fine, right?

Gears are important, but there are also things that can only come about if the tools have been around long enough for people to use it thoroughly. It seems like the idea that 'products are made to last' has been all but forgotten by the onslaught of modern consumerism

...just my 2 cents.

 

[gene_can_sing]

...
DP Philip Bloom wrote a great article on the need for Canon to act NOW, or risk losing serious market share in the video world because so much is starting to happen in that arena. A good read.

http://philipbloom.net/2011/07/21/the-state-of-play/

5D3 with video by next summer will be too late for a lot of people who will have switched to Sony or Panny by then.

Please provide quotes, justification, etc, for your last sentence.

Dilbert, just READ the article and all the comments, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to see the writing is on the wall for Canon in regards to video. For stills Canon will reign supreme but video is in a flux. I'd like to hope that Canon would want to capitalized on other markets, but it just doesn't seem like it.

I did read the article - the article does not present an argument for your prior claim nor your claim here.

What the article does is construct a scenario around one particular strawman. That is, the article is written around a fictional person that may or may not exist. Thus with the absence of any specific hard facts, the entire article is a work of fiction. The clever part about this fiction is that with careful construction, it is easily believable to be actual fact.

Listen to the interview with Gale Tattersall (the guy that directed the episode of House using the 5D Mark2.) What lenses did the professionals use? Canon. What message does that send to amateurs that want to shoot video on a 5D Mark2? Use Canon lenses.

Dilbert, here's what Philip Bloom (who was one of Canon's biggest proponents and one of the reasons why Canon sold tons of 5D2 to video shooters) said.

Philip wrote: "This is what Canon needs to do with their generation 2, and it needs to be done SOON. No line skipping. No moire, no aliasing, a headphone jack. Live, adjustable audio meters on screen. A much better codec. I also still shoot a lot on my GH2, as it’s so damn small and the image is just so stunning. I want my Canons to get better, especially my 5DmkII!! We haven’t seen the best of what DSLRs can give us yet – as I said, Canon is still on generation 1. I just really want them to HURRY UP!"

Also, read the numerous comments. Nearly everyone who responded wants Canon video to get their %*$& together and release something now. Philip has basically moved on from the Canons to the Panasonics and Sonys. He wants to keep using Canon, but he doesn't have a reason at this moment because the video tech is so OLD.

Not sure how much clearer you need it. While the company has great lenses, the bodies (at least from a video perspective) are falling way behind and Panasonic and Sony are already eating into their sales. With rumors of no new video cameras until next summer, that is a lot of time for Canon sales to be eaten up.

Just because House MD shoots parts of the show on the 5D, doesn't mean that it's a perfect camera and that it needs no improvements. I'm sure if you asked Gale Tattersall, he'd have a list of improvements also, probably not too different than Philips: No moire, no aliasing, better codec. It's not much to ask for really, but Canon just does not want to do it.

 

[UncleFester]

Gears are important, but there are also things that can only come about if the tools have been around long enough for people to use it thoroughly. It seems like the idea that 'products are made to last' has been all but forgotten by the onslaught of modern consumerism

...just my 2 cents.

But there is nothing like the smell of a new camera ;D

 

[Sherwin]

Gears are important, but there are also things that can only come about if the tools have been around long enough for people to use it thoroughly. It seems like the idea that 'products are made to last' has been all but forgotten by the onslaught of modern consumerism

...just my 2 cents.

But there is nothing like the smell of a new camera ;D